Akasa Air adds Doha as its first international destination

Akasa Air, which started operations on 7th August 2022, has announced the addition of Doha as its first international destination. It has become the first Indian airline to take to international skies within 19 months of commencing operations.

Doha bound!

Starting 28th March 2024, Akasa Air will operate 4-flights-a-week between Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Doha’s Hamad International Airport with the following timings:

• Mumbai-Doha
• Departure time: 17:45
• Arrival time: 19:40
• Flight time: 4 hours and 25 minutes
• Flight number: QP70
• Frequency: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays

---

• Doha-Mumbai
• Departure time: 20:40
• Arrival time: 02:45 (the next day)
• Flight time: 3 hours and 35 minutes
• Flight number: QP71
• Frequency: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays

Flights will be operated by Akasa’s Boeing B737MAX aircraft.

We are delighted to announce our international operations with the launch of our first destination – Doha, to our growing network. The introduction of four flights a week, connecting directly with Mumbai, a key Indian commercial hub, will cater to a diverse set of travellers from the two countries, facilitating tourism, commerce and strengthening bilateral ties.

Akasa Air is built on a solid foundation of reliability, service excellence and the highest standards of safety in global aviation. We are proud of our remarkable growth since inception, which is also a testimony of the sheer potential of the Indian aviation industry. Our foray into Qatar marks the next phase of growth as we continue our journey towards becoming one of the world’s top 30 airlines by the turn of this decade.

said Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air.

The airline says that the launch of “operations to Qatar marks the airline’s next phase of growth aimed at taking the warm and efficient Akasa experience to the world at affordable fares”.

We are driven by our purpose of connecting people, places and cultures and will continue to augment our global footprint in the coming months. We are confident that travellers will enjoy the signature Akasa experience, and that we will emerge as the preferred carrier on the route.

added Vinay.

Stay up to date: Sign up for my newsletter to never miss latest Aviation and Travel news.

Doha, the capital city and commercial  hub of Qatar, is one of the key economic engines of the Middle East region and  is also known for its cultural heritage. The city invites a blend of business, spiritual and leisure travellers from India throughout the year. Return fares start at INR 29012 ($350 and QAR 1275 approximately).

Cautious approach?

Akasa Air is one of the fastest growing airlines in India. The airline’s fleet now consists of 22 aircraft in just 19 months of operations. The four-weekly service to Doha is kind of taking a low-risk approach in a new market, the longest one yet for Akasa. Aircraft availability may have driven this decision or else the carrier just wants to test the market and how international operations pans out for it.

On Mumbai-Doha route, Akasa will face competition from four airlines. Qatar Airways operates a daily service to Mumbai while IndiGo operates twice-daily flights to Doha. Air India and Vistara operate nine and four-weekly flights respectively. Qatar Airways and IndiGo have a close partnership, with the former code-sharing on IndiGo flights to Doha, allowing it to add more passengers from India as the bilateral rights have exhausted. Vistara and Qatar Airways also have an interline partnership.

Doha is connected to 16 destinations in India. Mumbai will have the highest frequencies at 38-weekly flights each way when Akasa starts operating to Doha.

Gaining slots in the Middle East is one hell of a task. With GoFirst now gone and SpiceJet shrinking gradually, is it time for the governments to allocate rights for others like Akasa to fly? Only time will tell but here’s hoping that Akasa sets its foot in the international skies with a bang and continue to expand in the times ahead.

Meanwhile, Akasa Air recently placed an order for 150 Boeing B737MAX aircraft.

Featured image by Ishan Haria

What do you think of Akasa adding Doha as its first International destination? Let me know in the comments section below.

Follow IH Aviation and Travel on Social Media on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.